Saved
by annaliesegrace
Summary: Kono find that being on the run is not easy, especially when it all goes sideways.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Saved

Author: Annaliesegrace

Rating: T (some steamy parts included)

Summary: Kono finds that being on the run is not easy, especially when it all goes sideways.

AN: Hello readers! I didn't mean to be away so long but I recently started a new job and haven't been able to write. Actually…that's a little lie, I have been able to write, but only on paper and then I have to retype what I wrote, which is more challenging than it sounds cause my handwriting is awful. Annnyway, I haven't even had time to READ fic, which is truly a sad state of affairs. But I'm hoping that with this one my time is well spent. The first chapter is shorter than I usually do, but it sets up the action and it was good natural break.

This picks up four months post finale and I am completely ignoring the whole Wo Fat/Steve scene at the end because…well, I just don't know what to do with that. So in my head the finale ended with Steve staaaaring (seriously, could he have stared any harder at her as she got on that boat?) at Kono as she left.

Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review, they are appreciated to no end and are motivating.

* * *

Chapter One: Lost

* * *

Four Months Later

The phone ringing pulled Steve from a deep sleep and he glanced at the clock. While middle of the night phone calls were not unusual, he had only fallen into bed three hours earlier after barely sleeping for two days while on a case. They were still a man down on the task force, none of them willing to accept the possibility that Kono wasn't returning to them. To that end they had refused to replace her and the team had nearly burnt themselves out trying to take out Michael Noshimuri's gang of thugs in between their usual workload. It was starting to take its toll.

So to say he was crabby was an understatement and it came out in his terse, "McGarrett" when he answered the phone.

And then there was silence on the other end, which only fueled his irritation. "Whoever you are, you've called the cops, don't make me trace this call, find you and toss your ass in jail for making crank calls at three in the morning!"

"Steve?" The voice was quiet, familiar and sent a warm feeling spreading through his chest. It had been four long months since they had bid farewell to her on that pier. Four months since it felt like a piece of him had been ripped away painfully.

"Kono?" he replied and sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I forgot the time there…I just…" She sounded close to tears and Steve gripped the phone harder, concerned.

"What's wrong?"

A shuddering breath then, "Adam and I got separated five days ago, we thought we were being followed so we split up, but he didn't meet me at the rendezvous point. The burner he has is off, rolls over to voicemail. I can't get ahold of him and I didn't know what to do…"

"It's fine," he reassured her, because it was. "I'm glad you called. Where are you?"

She hesitated. Doris had warned them not to divulge their location to anyone, even her former teammates, but she was desperate. Adam was missing and she was in a foreign country…alone.

"Manila, the Philippines."

"Ok," he said and got out of bed, grabbing the paper and pen he left by the bed. "What's Adam's cell number? I'll see if we can trace it."

Again she hesitated; suddenly calling him seemed like a bad idea – on a lot of different levels. "I…I shouldn't have called, I can't drag you into this, Steve. If someone finds the trace…"

"I'll worry about that. Right now we need to find Adam. Number?"

Quickly she rattled off the number she had memorized.

"Give me an hour. Do NOT turn off your phone, ok?"

"Ok…Steve…thanks. I just…I didn't know who else to call."

She sounded so…lost. It scared him a little because Kono was one of those women you didn't need to worry about, she could handle anything life threw at her. But maybe she had finally run headlong into something she couldn't.

"You did the right thing. I'll call you back, don't move."

Even though he didn't want to, Steve hung up his cell and for a moment stared at the screen before making another call.

* * *

Clutching the cell phone, Kono leaned back against the brick of the narrow alleyway she had paused in to make the call. Out of options and just this side of terrified, the only person she could think to call was her boss.

She knew he would help her.

Not that Chin wouldn't want to help – and she was confident Steve would pull him in – but Steve possessed a certain…skill set that her cousin didn't; and those skills were what she needed in that moment.

Despite her initial reluctance to call, Kono was relieved; she was just so very tired – physically and emotionally. While she was far from being an expert on being on the run, Kono had at least seen firsthand how criminals did it and the creative (and careful) ways they stayed off the radar. Between that, the instruction Doris had given them before heading back and the fear of being caught, she was constantly on alert, cautious. Adam was less so – convinced that since they were far from home they were untraceable and wasn't always as careful as she would have liked. Which had only served to up her anxiety – she was constantly worried that he'd – however inadvertently – expose them. It would only take one small mistake to bring the Yakuza down on them, no matter how safe they thought they were.

A loud horn blaring startled Kono and she practically jumped in the narrow space; the unending sounds of traffic and tires screeching and horns blaring were giving her an unbearable headache and she slumped to the ground, burying her face in her arms.

It had started so well, Doris had set them up, giving them explicit instructions how to stay off the radar which they had followed religiously. And yet, it seemed they had been found. Adam had spotted someone who looked very familiar; enough that they agreed to split up and rendezvous at the docks one day later. She was there as agreed, he wasn't. One day passed, and then a second before she decided Adam wasn't going to show. Frustrated and more than a little scared, she had found a crummy room near the docks and stayed there as long as she felt safe, which had been another three days.

After that she packed up and simply wandered the streets, unsure exactly what to do. Despite her gut telling her she needed to get the hell away from the docks, she still slowly circled the one they'd agreed on, hopeful he would show.

It was the beginning of the fifth day apart she realized he wasn't going to. It would have been easy enough for her to get on a flight, they each had fake passports and cash, but Kono couldn't – wouldn't – leave without him. That and where the hell would she go by herself? Not back to Hawaii, as far as she knew the Yakuza were still a functioning gang and clearly still after them.

So she called the only man she could think of that would have any kind of an answer. With any luck Doris would have a contact out here that could help her navigate the country quietly while they looked for Adam. If Steve couldn't find Adam himself.

Another extremely loud horn and screaming coming from the street had Kono retreating farther into the alley still holding tight to the cell.

* * *

Walking into HQ, Steve was not surprised to find Chin standing impatiently at the smart table, clearly waiting for him.

"That was fast," Steve said and slid the paper with Adam's number scribbled on it across to the older man. Instead of a response all Steve received was a look he couldn't quite decipher. The other man was angry, that was clear but Steve wasn't sure where exactly the anger was directed.

It wasn't long before Chin made a frustrated noise.

"Battery's been removed or the cell is off…no signal at all to trace."

"Ok, what was the last call?"

"Let's see." Several minutes later Chin swiped something onto the screens. "Five days ago a call was made to another burner cell, both were in Manila, south side of the city. Within a two mile radius of each other."

Steve pulled out his phone. "What's the other cell number?" Chin rattled it off and Steve nodded. "That's Kono. Must have been right after they split. "

"You think Noshimuri's guys found them?"

Steve scrubbed one hand over his face. "No way to know, really. Unless…you have the list of suspected members of his gang?"

"Yeah."

"Let's run them and see if anyone made a trip to Asia in the last month."

Instead of retreating into his office as he usually would have, Steve stood by the table and watched as Chin ran several programs at once. He really couldn't keep up with the technology, that's why they had Kono – and now Chin.

After she had stepped onto that boat Steve had convinced himself she would be gone a couple weeks and then return to them, leaving Adam wherever he was overseas. But two weeks stretched into three, then a month, then two months and finally he accepted that until they could remove Michael's accomplices, Kono and Adam would never truly be safe.

And her safety was important to him, Steve had a soft spot for her; probably had since the day she came out of the water and decked a tourist for moving in on her wave.

The soft spot might have been helped by the instant physical attraction he felt for her. Then again, she had been wearing a very small bikini at the time. And hey, he was male. But since then his affection had morphed into something else. Something he would rather not analyze in that moment.

Catherine tended to ground him, interject reason into his insanity when called for, and question his methods if they were outrageously reckless.

Kono would grin and go along for the ride…at least to a point; just recently she had felt compelled to call herself "the only adult in the room". And sadly, it had been true. But she had also frequently sided with him and his (somewhat) insane ideas.

And yet as the days passed, instead of adjusting to her absence, he was finding it harder to ignore the longing he felt for her presence. She had promised him it wouldn't be forever and yet these four months already felt like it.

"Steve…I might have something-"

Chin's voice snapped him out of his musings and Steve focused on the other man.

"- One of Michael's low level guys, Dean Richards, took a flight to Tokyo, then skipped around Indonesia a while before flying into Manila two weeks ago. Five days after that Noshimuri got a call from said guy, and suddenly two of his best enforcers are flying strait to Manila."

"He found them, Kono was right."

"Looks like it."

"And we can't exactly call the local authorities…" Steve mused.

"Steve…" Chin said slowly and regarded his boss and friend with a nervous expression.

"Looks like I'm going to Manilla."

tbc...

Remember reviews are lovely and wonderful and all kinds of good things.


	2. Found

AN: Well I didn't intend to take so long between posts, but wow…time just got away from me. And this whole hand writing then typing thing is slooooow going.

THANK YOU for the reviews and favorites, it's good to know you guys missed me! I am…hopeful that I will have this whole story posted before the premier, but let's be real here…who knows.

* * *

Chapter Two: Found

* * *

Chin's first instinct was to argue with Steve and offer to go instead, he was frustrated, angry even, that Kono was even in this position because of Adam. If it wasn't for her boyfriend and his "family business" she would still be with them instead of alone, scared and probably hunted halfway across the world. Exacerbating the problem was Chin knew he wasn't the right person to help her, Steve was her best shot at getting out of there safely. And going with Steve would just be an added complication instead of help, he knew that. So instead Chin would be left in Hawaii with knots in his stomach wondering if she was alive or dead. He had been in this position with her before, and hated the fact that once again he wouldn't be there for her.

Steve would though and for him, that was going to have to be enough. Chin knew Steve would look after Kono, they were ohana.

So instead he nodded and got to work finding Steve a flight that left at 6 am - just over two hours. Once they had him set, Steve walked into his office, gathering things that he would need. Chin was leaning against the doorframe, his entire body radiating frustration and fear.

"Chin, it'll be fine. I promise."

"Bring her home, Steve. Just…bring her home."

The commander snapped his head up and looked at the other man, his heart sinking just a little bit. "I…I can't, Chin. I bring her back here and she'll be a big target on a very small island."

"It's been long enough-We can protect her," he insisted.

Steve closed his desk drawer and stepped around it. "We've gotten a good chunk of the Yakuza's low level guys, but we need the big fish. I can't bring her back here until the guys calling the shots are neutralized. The fact that they are still looking for them even after all this time is proof enough they aren't safe yet."

"Then what are you going to do once you get there?"

"Locate Adam and get them the hell out of there. I'll call Doris once I've landed and see if she's got a contact there…I'll bury them so far no one will find them."

"What if you can't find Adam? What if the Yakuza got a hold of him?"

Steve scrubbed a hand over his face. "I guess we'll have to improvise."

Chin smiled just briefly. "And that's what you're good at."

* * *

The second the phone rang she answered it, but before Kono could breathe out a greeting, Steve's voice came across the line. "I'll be there in about thirteen hours."

She couldn't have been more surprised, that wasn't what she intended when she called him. Not at all. And she said as much. "Steve…No, I can't ask you-"

"Kono…you need help, I'm coming." His tone was non-negotiable. "What time is it there?"

"Ummm…ten, ten pm."

"How much cash do you have?"

"Enough."

"Ok. Here's the plan, find an out of the way room to stay in for just the night. Leave in the morning and stay on the move as best you can until I get there around noon. As soon as I land I'll call you, keep your phone charged and on."

The independent take charge woman in her bristled momentarily at the step-by-step directions and the almost too calm tone, like he was speaking to a child; but the part of her that had been on the run for four months took great comfort in someone else finally taking charge. It had been a strain on her, always making the decisions about where to go and how to stay under the radar. Always being the only one worried, on edge. It had put a strain on their relationship. Adam said she worried too much, Kono said he didn't worry enough. Turned out she was right.

"Ok…is Chin there?"

"Yeah, hang on."

A moment later her cousin's voice came through the phone and Kono nearly cried with happiness from hearing his voice.

"Hey cuz."

"Chin…I…" She didn't know what to say, what could she?

"It's going to be ok, Kono. Just hang in there, Steve will be there soon."

"I'm sorry I didn't call you." If she meant that morning when she was in trouble or for any of the four previous months she didn't specify, because they knew it was both.

"You did what you thought was best. I get that." There was silence on her end of the phone, long enough that he became concerned. "Kono?"

"Thank you…" she sniffled.

"Kono, save your battery, ok? I'll talk to you again once Steve is there."

"Ok, bye Chin."

"Bye, Cuz."

As he was hanging up he heard her voice again. "Chin?"

"Yeah?"

"Love you."

Chin's eyes pricked with tears, she sounded so tired. "Love you too, cuz. Get some rest; I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Ok…ok, bye."

Chin heard the click of the disconnection and handed the phone back to Steve. "Danny and I are going to put every one of those bastards in jail so you can bring her home."

Steve clapped the older man on the shoulder. "Of that, I am sure."

* * *

A quick trip home to grab a bag with clothes, supplies (including his weapon and extra ammo, which thankfully his badge would let him get on board) and flashing said badge once he got to security had Steve on the plane just in time for takeoff.

Once they were in the air Steve settled in, staring out the window and watching the clouds go by. He was worried…terrified even, that something would happen to her in the eleven or so hours it would take to get there. When she had gotten on that ship with Adam and his mother, an unsettled, pained feeling had seeped into his chest. And the feeling lingered for several weeks after she left – Steve chalked it up to missing her, which he did - terribly.

Until he heard her voice for the first time in nearly five months, then the flood of emotion was far more than simply relief. It was born of going through what they did on a daily basis and coming out ohana on the other end.

Though Steve had to wonder, if this was Danny or Chin would he have so easily jumped on a plane going halfway across the world? Yes he would have, of that he was certain, but the motivation would not be the same. Not even close.

Sighing he adjusted his tall frame as best he could into the seat and closed his eyes, determined to get rest while he could.

* * *

True to his word, Steve texted her shortly before noon, instructing her to meet him in an hour at the Escolta River Ferry ticket booth.

Immense relief flowed through her, on a visceral level she knew that Steve would fix this. That he would help her find Adam and get out of Manila, hiding them once again.

But is that what she truly wanted?

Was hiding still their best (and only) option? Or now that time had passed was there an alternative that didn't separate them from loved ones?

Sighing, Kono left the small room she had stayed in – but hadn't really slept in; sleep was elusive these days – slowly working her way toward the ferry.

Halfway there, Kono realized she was being followed. Despite several completely random turns, the man - who was trying almost too hard to look like a tourist by wearing a garish Hawaiian print shirt with a camera hanging from his neck - stayed no more than thirty feet behind her.

Not now. Not. Now.

As she moved through the crowded sidewalk it became obvious she was going to have to do something soon than later, the man was inching ever closer with each block that passed. That and she was running out of time, she was supposed to meet Steve in fifteen minutes.

An opportunity presented itself moments later when a loud fight started across the street and people – while not coming to a complete stop – slowed down significantly to watch, her tail included. The second his attention was diverted she slipped into a narrow alleyway and watched as he passed. Counting to three she moved back out into the crowd and followed him.

It didn't take long before he stopped dead in his tracks, realizing she was no longer in front of him. She pressed up behind him and hissed in his ear, "Who are you?"

The man turned with a large grin on his face, which instantly slipped as soon as he got a good look at her. "Oh, I'm sorry; I thought you were someone else…"

Anger flared through her, this man had her in a near panic over…mistaken identity?

Kono gave him a hard, appraising stare and practically watched the nervous perspiration bead on his forehead. She sensed no malice from the man and at this point Kono was confident she could spot someone out to get her from a mile away.

So she narrowed her eyes and spoke lowly. "Next time, think twice about following someone in a foreign country, it could get you killed."

The expression on his face was enough that she knew her point had been made and Kono moved off, still a little rattled by the whole encounter.

Ten minutes later she was pacing relentlessly in front of the ferry dock, absently playing with the end of her backpack strap. Her frenetic pace meant she noticed him a split second before he saw her. For the first time in nearly five months a real, hopeful feeling washed over her and she moved toward him, her eyes never leaving his in fear that he would disappear if she did.

And then she was being wrapped in his embrace, strong arms pulling her into him and she responded by winding her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder, only just barely keeping a sob at bay.

"Steve…" she whispered into the soft cotton of his shirt and held onto him tighter. "Oh God, Steve…"

"Hey," he said and rubbed a hand up and down her back in a soothing gesture. "I'm here…I'm here."

They stayed that way for several minutes, wrapped in each other, Kono gripping gripped onto him like he was a life preserver and she was drowning. Which honestly, probably wasn't too far from the truth.

It was her that broke the contact, pulling away from him reluctantly.

Letting his eyes roam up and down her body Steve sighed, she had lost some weight; her skin was sallow and stretched over bones, her hair was listless and lacked it's usual shine. All signs of a person under severe stress.

But what got him was her eyes, the usual sparkle in them gone, replaced by something dull and lifeless. And she looked exhausted; the bags under her eyes were dark, disturbingly so.

"Oh, Kono…Ok, first thing we find some food-"

She shook her head. "-Steve…we need to find Adam."

He sent her a sharp, commanding look. "Right now you are going to eat, we are going to talk about what's going on and what we found before I came out and then we are going to formulate a plan for finding him, ok?"

She nodded and allowed him to grasp her wrist gently as he led her back toward a long street filled with restaurants and food vendors. Quickly he picked one and ordered two plates of rice with meat and a couple bottles of water.

They sat in silence out on the patio and with their backpacks sitting on the ground next to them looking all the world like a couple out on an adventure.

Kono picked at her food, taking a few bites here and there, which did not go unnoticed by Steve. Eventually – after eating barely half – she pushed the plate away, pointy ignoring the reproachful look from Steve.

"So the Yakuza did find us," she said and took a long drink from the water before starting to pick at the label.

"More than likely," he said and reached out, stopping her spastic picking. "You said he saw someone he recognized, right?" She nodded. "Did you see them?"

She shook her head and switched her attention from him back to the bottle.

He ate the last two bites of his food with a sideways glance at her plate. "We'll start with the assumption the Yakuza have him. I assume they haven't contacted you since we talked last?"

"No, nothing."

"Ok, then we find a room somewhere away from the city center and you sleep-"

"Steve!" she protested. "I didn't call you here so I could take a nap. We need to find Adam."

He ignored her outburst. "While I start calling Doris' contacts and the hospitals and morgues for John Does, lets eliminate those first."

"I can help with that…"

Suddenly he scooted his chair around the small table to sit right next to her. Then he reached out a hand and cupped her cheek gently, his thumb stroking the skin. Instinctively she leaned into the touch; it had been so very long that she literally couldn't stop herself. This close to her, the under eye bags looked darker, exhaustion seeped from every pore. He tilted her head up slightly before dropping his hand.

"You look exhausted Kono, when was the last time you slept? I mean really slept, not a nap?"

"I don't…" She wanted to lie, say it was fine, she had gone longer without, but she just couldn't. Not to him, not now, he deserved more than that. "Since we separated. But I wasn't sleeping well before that."

The expression on his face told her he understood all too well. "After you left Hawaii…"

"It was…ok the first three or four weeks. After that I started to have trouble sleeping, constantly worried about…God, everything."

Again he nodded and for just a brief moment all she wanted to do was sink into his chest and rest for a little while.

"You aren't any good to me or Adam so exhausted you can't function." He eyed her discarded plate again. "And you need to eat."

Something about that had her snapping at him, "Who are you, my mother?"

That earned her a well-deserved glare. "No, I just care about you."

That's when he stood and silently took care of their plates, leaving her to stare at him a moment.

As he returned to the table she stood and they scooped up their packs before he grabbed her hand in his, twining their fingers and leading the way.

It didn't take long for Steve to find an out of the way flophouse he deemed acceptable and barter for a nights stay. As they trudged up the stairs, all Kono could think was she was really, really looking forward to some sleep, possibly of the uninterrupted kind.

Once they opened the door she all but sighed in relief; she could have cared less that the room was barely bigger than her office in Hawaii and contained only a sink, the showers and toilets were community down the hall, but it was fairly clean, faced away from the street to keep the noise level manageable and contained a double sized bed.

Steve quickly closed the blinds as best he could before nodding his head at the bed. "Sleep, now."

"Yes, sir," she grinned slightly and dropped her bag in the corner before dropping onto the bed, not even bothering to take off her shoes before lying down.

She heard the sigh he tried to restrain before he squatted next to the bed and removed the shoes for her, placing them strategically next to the bed. If they needed to leave quickly they would be accessible.

Then he moved up the bed slightly as she shifted onto her side facing him. Reaching out carefully, he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Sleep, I'll keep watch and make sure nothing happens, ok?"

Somehow he knew that she had been the one with that burden while with Adam. And she nodded because Kono knew he did have her back and would do everything in his power to protect her. Quickly he placed a solid kiss on her forehead before getting up and sitting in a chair blocking the locked door. A visual reminder that anyone who came to hurt her would have to go through him first.

With one more look in his direction, Kono closed her eyes and slipped into sleep.

TBC…

* * *

BTW – everything I learned about Manila came from The Bourne Legacy (mmmmm…Jeremy Renner) and Google Earth.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'm not sure how many times I can say it, but THANK YOU for the reviews, they are fabulous. They are motivating, even if it does take me forever to update. I hope you enjoy the little "twist" this chapter gives you.

Also, someone asked in the reviews why I picked Manila. Well, to be honest I was trying to figure out what kind of post-finale fic I could do, happen to be watching Bourne Legacy (I think I've mentioned mmmmm Renner…) and tah-dah, you get this! Enjoy!

_Italics_ are flashbacks.

* * *

Chapter Three: Comfortable

* * *

_The warm breeze blew through her hair while she took another long drink of the beer in her hand. He was sitting next to her on the sand, both of them staring off into the ocean. _

_She laughed at something he said and smiled, please when he returned it. There was something in the air between them that night, something living and breathing and expanding in the space between them._

_She knew this was a bad idea to be here alone with him, he was bad for her, but at that moment she didn't care. Maybe because of the setting sun or the slight buzz she was experiencing from the beer she had consumed. Either way, when he leaned in slightly she responded in kind and then his lips were on hers and oh, it was so, so good. One of his hands wove into her hair, the other cupping the back of her head._

_When his tongue pressed against her lips and she parted them to allow access Kono knew there was no going back from this._

* * *

She startled awake, momentarily confused where she was but it only took a quick look around the small, hot room to remind her. Eventually her gaze landed on Steve, who was still sitting in the same chair he was before in she fell asleep in seemingly the same position, gun in his lap.

She sighed and stretched, her entire body ached, that's when she realized it was pitch black outside and she frowned – how long had she been sleeping?

"It's one thirty in the morning. You slept for nearly eleven hours." Steve said and there was something in his voice, something she couldn't quite discern…disappointment maybe?

She shifted on the bed and when she sat up to face him, he was clearly texting someone.

"What are you-"

"The flophouse owner's son is going to get us some food, which you _will _eat."

She stared at him a minute. "We are going to eat in the middle of the night?"

"You wanna wait until morning? It's been twelve hours since we ate last." Again that look then, "At least since I did."

"I guess not," she admitted and then realized that for the first time in a while her stomach was actually grumbling and not silent from stress eating at her.

The room fell silent, an awkward kind she couldn't remember ever being between them. They were always comfortable around each other. But now there was this…silence.

"Steve…thank you."

His expression instantly softened and he moved to sit next to her on the bed. "Anything for you, you know that."

Kono started twisting her fingers together and stared at them, seemingly fascinated. "It's…hard. Being on the run, a lot harder than I thought. You're constantly suspicious of everyone…" she laughed a little. "Literally everyone, from little kids to old ladies, wondering if one of them is working for _them. _And I don't think Adam took it as seriously as I did…do. At first he did, but as time wore on he thought we were good, that we didn't need to worry. But all I could think was that every day that went by was another day they were looking and could find us. I never feel truly safe." She looked pointedly at him. "Until now."

"Well, you were right. They were still looking for you," he said and placed a hand over her twitching ones.

"Yeah. That's one time I would rather have been wrong," she mumbled and glanced over while his hand tightened on hers.

Steve watched something sad settle on her face but before he could ask about it there was sharp knock on the door and he stood, quickly exchanging money for the food he'd requested.

When he returned to the bed, they slid back in unison until their backs were against the wall, containers balanced on outstretched legs. This time she dug into the food the way he was used to seeing her eat and the smallest bit of relief flowed through him. It wasn't long before she had half of the noodles and vegetables gone.

Steve grinned at her between bites of his own food and she returned it, slowing her eating to avoid stomach cramps.

"I did manage to get some calls in before dark," he said and finished off his carton. "Nothing yet, but there's a couple more hospitals and morgues to visit tomorrow along with the last place you saw him."

She nodded. "Doris' contact?"

"Calling me back. But he said that when we find him, he can get you and Adam out of Manila with little trouble."

Again something flitted across her face but she said nothing. Absolutely nothing. Steve debating calling her out, but decided it probably wasn't worth it. They could talk after this was all over.

She finished the last couple bites of her food and realized that with a full stomach she was tired…again.

Steve collected the containers and tossed them into a small garbage can in the corner of the room.

"We can't do much else until morning. Might as well get some more sleep if we can," he said and moved to sit back in the chair.

"You need to sleep too."

He looked at her. "Planning on it."

"In the chair?"

"Yup."

"No," she said and he looked at her, somewhat amused, but she pushed on. "We can share the bed, it's not exactly home but it's better than the chair."

He hesitated and she lay down on her side and scooted back to the wall. Trying not to think about it too hard he stood, shoved the chair under the door handle and approached the bed. There was something holding him back, this nagging thought that this was a bad idea.

Despite that he pulled the thin sheet over her body before lying next to her on top of the covers, fully dressed, shoes and all. She eyed him critically a moment before deciding not to push it and shifted around a few moments before falling asleep.

* * *

_She was pressed back into the warm sand, his lips never leaving sun and lust heated skin. When he found a particularly sensitive spot she moaned and scratched her fingers across his t-shirt clad back. At some point she slipped her hands under the shirt and pushed the material up and over his head, tossing it aside. _

_His body was half covering hers and along with his warm chest pressed to her, she could feel his erection pressed into her thigh. One of his hands worked their way under her t-shirt, cupping a bikini-clad breast, his thumb moving across her nipple. She arched into him with a seductive groan and he captured her lips with his, his tongue in her mouth again, this time more insistent._

_Then he bit her lower lip gently and her hands wandered along the fabric of his waistband of his shorts, occasionally dipping below the material and running across the hidden skin._

"_Kono," he mumbled against her mouth, "we shouldn't…"_

"_I know," she said as he moved his lips down to the tops of her shoulders._

"_Tell me to stop…" he whispered._

"_No."_

_An epitaph was mumbled against the skin of her collarbone and then he stood, pulling her with him._

_Halfway to the house he suddenly picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her fireman style. Kono shrieked and then laughed, wiggling a little against his shoulder._

_When his hands began to wander up and down her long legs she stopped moving, relaxed against him and sighed his name, "Steve."_

* * *

Waking the second time was less disorienting for her, this time she was very aware of where she was. The only surprise was Steve was still sleeping – and one of her hands was resting on his chest, fingers curled slightly into the soft material of his t-shirt.

One of his own hands was similarly splayed on his abdomen below hers, his thumb and her pinky just brushing each other.

Staring at his profile, Kono couldn't stop the memories of their first time together. It had been after the case with the kids buried in a school bus. At the hotel with parents hugging their rescued children (and occasionally her), their eyes had met and she'd seen the spark of…_something_ between them. It was just the way he was staring intently at her perhaps. The rest of the day had been mostly chaotic and she hadn't had time to reflect on the look on his face or the feeling it evoked in her. And then he had invited the team to his place for food and beer.

As the evening had worn on they found themselves alone sitting on his beach, toes buried in the warm sand. Then he'd kissed her and eventually carried her into the house.

The next morning they had promised themselves and each other that it wouldn't happen again, no matter how fantastic the sex had been, and explained away their improper behavior as the emotional stress from the day compounded with one too many beers.

And they had managed to move on and act like nothing had happened, content with going back to strictly teammates and friends.

At least for a while.

"You ok?" he suddenly asked, voice rough from sleep and damn if that sound didn't still send a warm sensation down her spine.

Kono resisted snatching her hand back and instead just released the loose hold she had on his shirt. But before she could slowly pull away, the hand he had resting on his stomach moved up and covered hers, his thumb slowly stroking her wrist.

"Yeah, good," she mumbled and Kono knew she should move away from him but the soothing strokes of his thumb were rooting her in place. For a brief, wonderful, moment she forgot the mess she was in, a mess of her own making. Unconsciously she moved closer to him, instantly feeling safer, calmer really, in his presence – there was something (always had been really) about him that did that. Yes, Adam was still out there somewhere, but for the first time in _months_ she felt comfortable so she decided to be selfish, if only for a couple minutes.

"We should get going," he said after a while and removed his hands from hers before sitting up and flinging his feet to the floor – his shoes making a loud "thud" on the floor.

"Yeah," she replied and followed suit, pulling her shoes on and heading for the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" he called out.

Kono just barely stopped the eye roll. "Bathroom."

He looked appropriately chagrined. "Oh, ok. Just make it quick."

"Yes, boss." The term came so naturally and he grinned before a wistful expression crossed her face. "Sorry, guess I shouldn't call you that, huh?"

He stood and quickly crossed the small room, absently cupping her cheek. "Maybe you will again one day…and mean it."

"Yeah, maybe," she all but whispered and pulled away, walking out the door, leaving him standing there.

* * *

_The second time he'd shown up at her door, it was a mere two weeks after the first time and at nearly midnight – not that she had been sleeping. Once again the team had closed a particularly grueling case, they had been up for nearly three days straight and in the end had caught the murderer, but not before two more women had been killed. _

_Before Kono could even get out a word he stepped into the house, closing the door behind him and rotating them to push her back against it, pressing his lips to hers almost violently. Out of sheer surprise she resisted for just a moment before relaxing against the door and kissing him back with equal force. _

_Then his hands were practically everywhere, touching every bit of skin that was exposed by her barely there pajamas of a spaghetti tank top and cotton short shorts. _

_Before she could even get her hands on him, her tank was being pulled up and over her head and his fingers were dancing at the waist of her shorts, occasionally dipping below the fabric to touch skin. All the while his lips worked slowly down her neck, tongue dipping into the hollow of her throat, eliciting a low moan from her._

"_Steve," she breathed out and ran her fingers through his hair, nails scraping his scalp. _

_In place of speaking, Steve slid his hand into her shorts, then her underwear, touching her gently. Kono threw her head back against the solid door._

_The thud that resulted reminded them of their location and he pulled away, wordlessly leading her by the hand down the hall to her bedroom._

* * *

As they walked out of the second hospital into the hot Manila morning, Steve's cell rang.

"McGarrett," he answered and placed a hand on her forearm, stopping them. "Yeah, I got it…thanks, man…will do."

Steve hung up to find Kono staring at him expectantly. "We got a lead."

_Thank god, _she thought. Both hospitals had been a bust, no patients matching Adams description and no one in the morgue either.

"Where?"

"Manufacturing warehouse a couple miles away on the outside of town. Doris' contact got wind of an American being held there by gang members."

Kono looked hopeful. "Is he still there?"

"Contact didn't know, the info is a couple days old," he said while waving for a cab. "Let's check it out. Even if he isn't there, it's a start."

She nodded her agreement and climbed into the cab behind him.

The driver dropped them off in front of a somewhat upscale hotel several blocks from their destination. Steve didn't want to leave a trail to the warehouse, just in case. As they walked slowly toward their destination Steve made a point of holding her hand as they went, putting forth the appearance of a couple on vacation. Kono couldn't deny she liked the way her smaller hand fit into his…always had really.

Tightening his grip on hers just a little bit, Steve was consumed with thoughts of how he was going to get her (them, he supposed) out of the country in the short term and then out of this Yakuza mess entirely so she could come home. To him…to them.

Steve decided that after they checked out the warehouse he would call Danny and Chin and see if they had made any progress on their end. Not that he was hopeful, it had been barely 24 hours but they were more motivated than ever.

Meanwhile Kono moved subtly closer to him, her own thoughts tumbling over each other, scattered. Concern for Adam and what he was going through, if he was scared, injured. And then, in the back of her head was awe…awe and appreciation that Steve had traveled thousands of miles to help her. He could have stayed in Hawaii and worked connections from there. But instead he came to be with her.

Kono wasn't quite sure what to make of that just yet.

As they approached the warehouse he dropped her hand and instantly she missed the comforting warmth. He brought one finger to his lips to indicate silence and she nodded, following him to stand under a window that was far above either of their heads. After a moment of looking around, Steve bent over slightly, hooking his hands together in front of him. She understood instantly and dropped her backpack to the ground before placing a foot in his cradled hands. Steve lifted and her other foot landed on his shoulder, balancing precariously as she looked through the dirty window.

Kono took her time scanning the inside, knowing Steve was capable of holding her as long as necessary. After several moments she looked down and shook her head. His hands lowered and she dropped back to the ground.

"Empty." She kept her voice low, though.

"Ok".

Kono picked up her bag and slung it back over both shoulders, he did the same.

In tandem born from years of breeching buildings together, they approached the single door, pulling weapons from their waistbands. They stood to either side of the door and Steve reached out, testing the handle. He nodded, indicating it was unlocked. Quickly he turned the knob and threw the door open, when no gunfire erupted from inside they moved cautiously through the doorway.

Quietly and efficiently they moved through the large warehouse, clearing space after space. Finally they came across a small mostly empty office with another high window.

Sitting in the middle of the room was a single chair. As they approached Kono noted pieces of zip tie scattered on the floor.

"Someone was held here," Steve said, speaking what she had been thinking.

"Yeah," she muttered with resignation.

Steve turned to her and said, "We can't be sure it was him, Kono."

Sighing, Kono bent down and picked something up that was lying amidst the ties.

A ring. A platinum ring that she held out to Steve.

"It's Adam's," she forced out and indicated for him to look inside the band.

Steve glanced at her before taking the ring; she looked sad and resigned to Adam's fate. Then he looked at the inscription.

_All my love…Kono_

Quickly he glanced around the room. "Nothing to indicate he isn't alive. No blood, no evidence of violence."

"I know…it's just…he was here." She paused and took a shuddering breath. "He was here for how long and I couldn't fucking find him. I'm a god-damn detective!" Then her entire body seemingly started to shake.

She was falling apart right in front of him and it startled him, never had he seen her lose it quite like this. The closest comparison he had was when Ian had died right in front of her. But even then she exuded a confidence, confidence that was completely absent in that moment. Right now she was consumed by grief and guilt. Neither of which Steve knew would be helpful in that moment.

He took a step toward her, hand outstretched but she stepped back – avoiding the contact. Steve was, unsurprisingly, more stubborn than that and approached again, whispering her name and gently gripping her upper arms. "We will find him, you know me. I don't give up that easy. Right now I need you to focus."

She took a shuddering breath. "I know…I-"

Before she could finish her thought a red dot appeared on Steve's chest, directly above his heart.

tbc…

You will find out more about Steve/Kono's previous relationship and how it fits in with Catherine and Adam in upcoming chapters. In the meantime, feel free to leave a lovely review.


	4. Guilt

AN: At long last, a new chapter! Apologize for the wait, it was crazy busy at work and I haven't had any time to work on this. But I should have a tad more free time now, and my hope to have this posted in its entirety before the premier is still alive and well!

THANK YOU for the reviews and favorites, they seriously make my day. Keep em coming!

* * *

Chapter Four: Guilt

* * *

Instinct kicked in and in an instant Kono placed her hands on his torso and shoved hard. As they fell, Kono felt the bullet whizz by her head, mere inches from hitting her and she was convinced, absolutely convinced that it had hit its mark. That she hadn't been fast enough. That Steve was injured…or dead.

Together they hit the concrete floor hard, Steve taking the brunt of the fall, her body falling partially on top of him.

As soon as they were down they both rolled to the side, toward the wall with the window and peripherally she acknowledged that if Steve was moving he wasn't seriously hurt. By the time they came to a stop under the window both had pulled out their guns and were sweeping the room for means of escape.

The problem was the only door was on the wall opposite them, putting them directly back in the line of fire.

"You ok?" she asked and glanced at him.

"Yeah, fine," he forced out and Kono chose not to push it at that moment. He was moving and breathing and not bleeding out on the floor. It was at that point, the best case scenario.

"What do we do?"

Steve's eyes darted around the room, quickly coming up with and then equally quickly discarding several ideas. No more gunshots had followed the one, but that probably meant they were dealing with a professional who was simply waiting for them to go for the door, knowing it was their only egress.

"Follow me." He finally said and started moving slowly along the wall, eyes moving between the now broken window and door. The shards of glass gave Steve an idea and he reached out, picking up several of the biggest pieces and handing a couple to Kono. "Hang onto these."

She nodded and continued to follow his slow path, also keeping her eyes on the window and carefully holding the jagged glass.

Eventually Steve came to a stop and turned to her. "Without knowing exactly where he is I can only guess that in a couple more feet we will be in his line of fire again. See the sun?" He asked and pointed to the sunlight that was now streaming into the room, leaving a path on the floor. She nodded. "When I tell you, toss the glass into the sunlight, if we are really lucky, it will distract him long enough to make a break for the door. Just keep moving, don't look back."

"You really think that will work?"

"Got a better idea?" he asked with a grin and then added, "And don't forget to grab your backpack."

Thankfully they had both dropped their packs on the floor outside the office.

"Ready?" he asked and she nodded.

Silently he raised his hand, three fingers up. As each finger came down, the anxiety in her stomach got a little bit worse. Then he made a fist and they both tossed the glass, and shit, the reflections coming off the pieces as they skipped and scattered through the light nearly blinded _her_, but Kono kept focus and ran as soon as he did.

Just as she made the door, scooping up her pack, a bullet hit the floor directly behind her and they continued to run through the massive warehouse, easily making it back to the door they came in, which thankfully was on the opposite side of the building as the office.

As they got outside he laced his fingers through hers and moved them toward the busier street two blocks away. They had at least two minutes before their would-be assassin could make it to street level and start a chase. Steve just prayed there was only one of them. The fact they made it this far indicated it was just the single shooter.

Easily they slipped into the crowd of people moving briskly through the shopping center and just as easily he got them a cab and directed their driver to the opposite side of the city. Once they were well on their way, Steve relaxed some and looked at Kono.

She was sitting next to him, looking somewhat dazed, but he could also see that she was working out what had happened. "I don't…they knew we would be there."

"Yeah, either Doris' contact is completely untrustworthy or he was feed information knowing it would get to us." Steve paused. "Either way, he's useless now."

She nodded and finally really looked at him, she had been so concerned with getting away, Kono hadn't noticed that he had been favoring his left arm. And now he was cradling it gently against his side. He was injured, how badly she couldn't determine.

"Steve-" she started quietly but he just shook his head and she fell silent. They remained that way the rest of the ride and as they got closer to whatever destination Steve had in mind he laced his fingers with hers again and squeezed. She managed to grant him a small smile.

When the cabbie dropped them off in front of a higher-end hotel she eyed him, but his face gave nothing away as he paid the driver and got out, their hands still joined. She paused a moment, the fascia of the hotel was ornate and beautiful and clearly was catering to vacationers with money to burn.

When he tugged on her hand, Kono followed and watched as Steve walked to the front desk attendant – a pretty older woman with graying hair - with a broad smile and explained that they were there on a romantic vacation and saw this hotel and just had to see if there was a room available.

Kono smiled appropriately and reached into his bag when he indicated (thereby keeping him from having to move around too much), pulling out enough cash to cover one night. The woman quickly handed over two key cards and smiled knowingly at them. Steve gave the woman one of his devastating smiles and they walked over to the elevator bank, Kono pushing the call button.

Thankfully the elevator up to the tenth floor was empty and Kono took advantage.

"Your arm…" she started.

"It's fine," he pressed out as the doors slid open on their floor. Quickly they made their way to the room; which was at the end of the hall, near the emergency stairs. Modern artwork lined the walls and Kono wondered why Steve had chosen this upscale of a hotel but decided that was a question better left for later.

He unlocked and opened the door, and they both stepped in the bright, clean room. The second after she closed and locked the door, Kono stepped in front of him.

"Bathroom, now," she ordered and for a moment he looked surprised. Because of her sharp tone or the command itself she didn't know, but either way he dropped his bag on the large bed before crossing in front of her to enter the bathroom and sit on the toilet.

The bathroom was small but well appointed with marble counters, lovely tile work and high quality towels. Kono placed her pack on the counter and rifled through it a moment before pulling out a small red nylon bag. Once opened, Steve saw the contents and couldn't stop a smile.

Kono saw his grin in the mirror and returned it as she met his eyes in the glass. "Some SEAL I know taught me to be prepared."

"Smart guy," he responded and Kono felt a familiar, comforting warmth flood through her veins.

She turned toward him and said, "Let's take a look."

Together they got his lightweight jacket off with little trouble or pain and Kono startled at the amount of blood she saw, it covered his upper arm and soaked the material of his tee. She gripped his wrist gently and twisted, getting a marginally better look at the wound that was on the inside of his upper arm, but the dark blood mixed with the even darker t-shirt he wore and she couldn't quite determine the extent of the injury.

"It's not that bad-" he started and this time she cut him off with a look.

"Off," she stated simply and reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it up to chest level before she realized he was staring straight at her.

* * *

_When he finally set her down in the living room, Kono grinned wickedly at him before closing the space between them and kissing him hard – her tongue demanding entrance into his mouth, which he happily obliged. As she probed his mouth, her hands had trailed down to stroke the skin of his abdomen that she had seen so much of, but had never been able to really touch. It was as smooth as she thought and tight across his muscles._

_Pulling away and looking up at him, Kono was met with eyes that were just as lust filled as hers were. This time he kissed her and slowly pulled her tank top up and off, tossing it into the corner of the room. Left in just her bikini top, Kono reached behind her and pulled the two strings holding the barely there material together, allowing it to drop to the floor, exposing her top to him completely. Then his hands landed on her hips for a brief moment before sliding up her sides, just brushing the sides of her bare breasts before continuing onto her shoulders, then down her arms where he laced his fingers with hers._

_And he pulled her toward the stairs._

* * *

Kono shook away the memory and removed the blood stained shirt. Once off she was able to see the wound wasn't as bad as all the blood made it out to be, but would still need a few stitches to close it up properly.

Turning her back to him, she quickly gathered the supplies she would need from the nylon bag and handed him three Motrin and a bottle of water she still had.

"Take these…it's all we've got for pain."

He downed the pills and she got to work, first cleaning the wound with simple soap and water, then carefully starting to stitch him up. Through it all Steve remained stock still, never flinching or giving any indication he may have been in pain. Meanwhile she had to suppress a cringe every time the needle pierced his skin. It was _her_ fault he'd been injured, if she hadn't called him, none of this would have happened…she should have just left well enough alone and tried to find Adam on her own…

"Hey," His soft voice and hand on her arm pulled Kono from her thoughts.

"Sorry," she muttered and finished tying the last suture.

"Kono," he said his voice still soft, and she bit her lip while fighting sudden tears that were threatening to fall. The urge to get away from him was strong, the guilt she felt for causing this was building up inside her.

Shaking her head so he wouldn't continue she swiftly applied antibiotic cream and then taped a piece of gauze over her work.

That's when she noticed the blood staining her hands, it wasn't much really, but it was enough to ratchet up the guilt a little more. His blood was literally on her hands. First Adam went missing when it was her job to protect them and now Steve's blood was on her hands, under her fingernails, staining her skin.

Quickly she turned toward the sink and set the water as hot as she could stand it, then grabbed the bar of soap she'd used earlier, scrubbing furiously. So focused on her task she didn't hear (or see) Steve stand and move behind her. As she was getting the last of the blood, she felt his hands on her shoulders, thumbs gently stroking along her spine. It was equal parts comforting and a reminder that he was here and not safely ensconced in Hawaii. Where he still would be if not for one call she had made.

She tried to shake his hands off, but he only held tighter and leaned in. "Kono…it's ok. We're going to find him…"

Oh, God. Steve thought this was about Adam. And maybe part of it was, but primarily it was him, it was Steve that was causing her heart to race and her hands to shake just a little. It was Steve's blood on her hands. And she was more concerned about Steve than Adam.

This was supremely fucked up.

She turned and placed her still-damp hands on his bare chest in an attempt to push him away, but failed miserably, instead falling into his embrace once again, resting her cheek against him, her hands trapped between them.

Easily he wrapped his arms around her, hands coming to rest at her lower back.

It didn't take long before the air between them started become electric, charged with something familiar to them both. Something they thought they had stopped long ago.

* * *

"_We can't do this anymore," she said while curled into his side, the Hawaiian breeze blowing through the open windows of her bedroom, cooling their naked, sweat-slicked bodies._

"_I know." His voice was as pained as hers._

_But they both knew it had to end, at first it had been all about sex, expending leftover energy in a mutually beneficial way. But after just over a half dozen encounters it had become clear that they were connecting on a far deeper and more emotional level. Which is what neither of them needed, it was exactly what they had been hoping to avoid when they started _this.

_Her fingers ghosted over this skin of his chest. "I guess…I guess is the end then."_

_He placed a hand over hers, stilling her movements. "It has to be. We can't…"_

_Kono silenced him with a pained kiss. Then she climbed on top and they had a final farewell._

* * *

Absently he buried his face in her hair, breathing her in. Even after months away she still smelled like Hawaii.

And oh, he knew it was so, so wrong and yet he couldn't stop himself from placing a kiss in that hair. Then another at her temple. And another on her cheek. Before he could stop himself, Steve placed a chaste kiss on her lips. At least it started chaste, but with just that small taste of her, Steve wanted more. So he took it, kissing her again, and again. And when she responded by kissing him back, Steve pressed her back against the counter, his fingers finding purchase on her hips.

When they pulled away for air and she looked at him, Steve realized what he had done and immediately backed away from her.

"Oh, God…Kono. I…" He stumbled over the words and looked absolutely horrified at his actions. Then he pulled away from her fully and stepped out of the bathroom, disappearing into the room.

Rather than chase him, Kono chose to clean up the bloodied supplies she'd used to sew him up, tossing it all into a plastic bag to throw away once they'd left the hotel.

Once she was done, Kono stepped into the room and found him standing on a small balcony, forearms on the railing, staring into space. Cautiously she approached, stopping to stand in the small doorwall.

"Steve?"

He rotated his head just enough to look at her sideways. "I shouldn't have done that."

She stepped onto the balcony; it really was _just_ big enough for the two of them. "It's ok…"

"It's not ok," he said and turned back. They were only on the fifth floor, but they still had a fairly good view of the city, which was where he kept his focus. "It's…not."

Kono put a hand on his forearm, squeezing gently to get his attention. "I-"

"I'm not that guy Kono, you _know_ that."

"I know."

"I went too far…" He chuckled mirthlessly. "I went _way_ too far. You're with Adam."

"I was going to leave him," she spit out quickly.

Now he stood to full height and turned toward her. "You were what?"

"I was planning on coming home, Steve."

tbc

* * *

Next chapter we delve into their prior relationship more. In the meantime leave a review...


	5. Chapter 5: Them

AN: I must apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I struggled mightily with it and it's shorter than I usually do but I just needed to get this done and move onto the next one. THANK YOU again for the favorites and reviews, they are always, always appreciated.

* * *

Chapter 5: Them

* * *

His eyes darted around a minute before he grabbed her by the elbow, guiding her back into the room, closing the door and blinds behind them.

"You were what?"

She started pacing. "After Manila, whenever we decided to leave…I wasn't going with Adam. I was going to come back to Hawaii." A hand moved through her tousled hair and she sighed, "As if the constant stress about being found wasn't bad enough, we were arguing about…everything. The last two months have been…hell." She paused and wiped tears she didn't even realize had fallen from her eyes. "I think…I think he knew what I was planning, he was pulling away a little more every day. I'm so confused Steve. I was going to leave him, I was going to head home to you and now he's gone and I don't…I don't know how to feel. I don't know what to do. I just know I can't be with him anymore. I just feel so damn guilty." Suddenly she started moving again and tears were falling freely now, tumbling along with her words which were coming at breakneck speed. "I was going to leave..."

"Konlo," Steve said but she ignored him.

"What if he's already dead, Steve? Then all of this was for nothing…"

Now he stood and grasped her shoulders gently. "Kono…stop. Just…stop."

Finally she did, taking a long breath and gathering herself. "Ok…ok." After several moments of silence she said quietly, "You know Adam and I both knew it was over, but neither of us was willing to let go because of the circumstances and now look where we are."

"Hey, you did your best during a really stressful situation. And sometimes people don't act the way we expect, or need to, during those times."

"I…didn't want it to end this way. I mean, he doesn't even know."

"You can still care about someone but realize that being together isn't…realistic."

Kono shot a look that told Steve she caught his double meaning. It wasn't just her and Adam's relationship he was talking about, it was theirs as well. She sat on the end of the bed and Steve stared a moment before sitting next to her.

"But you know-" he started but was quickly cut off.

"I can't come back." Her voice was pained, expression so despondent that Steve couldn't resist grabbing her hand and squeezing.

"I'm sorry, Kono. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said and stared at their joined hands, it felt so natural, her small one enveloped in his. "I chose to get on that ship in Hawaii. I knew the consequences."

"Maybe we can figure something out, a way to protect you," he said, realizing the words mirrored Chin's, words Steve himself had shot down. It was easy to resign her to a fate of remaining on the run from thousands of miles away when she wasn't in front of him falling apart.

Suddenly he released her hand and stood. "I should call Chin, update him."

She nodded while he dialed, quickly getting the other man on the phone, despite the fact it was nearly 4 am in Hawaii. Their conversation was short and to the point and Kono got the jist of it, nothing so far. The Yakuza had been shockingly quiet, which concerned them all. After Michael died and Kono and Adam disappeared the Yakuza had run wild, the less savory parts of the organization happy to be free of the chains Adam had placed on them. The organization was suspected in a rash of burglaries, assaults and other assorted crimes, until recently when suddenly it all stopped. Then Steve updated Chin on their run in at the warehouse and asked him to run passports once again, starting with anyone arriving this week.

She was handed the phone and Kono smiled when she heard her cousin's voice. He was always her port in the storm.

"Chin," she breathed out.

Their conversation was equally brief and she assured him that yes, Steve really was fine, the bullet just grazed him. Chin told her they were doing all they could and they ended the conversation with promises to be safe and to check in again ASAP.

Kono handed Steve the phone back. "Maybe you should call Catherine."

Steve's hand froze halfway to taking the phone and Kono looked at him. "She does know you're here, right?"

Finally taking the phone, he responded, "No, actually. She doesn't."

"What?" she said and stood. "How could you fly halfway around the world and not tell her? Steve! She must be worried!"

A derisive sound came from him and then, "I doubt she's worried."

"Why wouldn't she be…" Suddenly it clicked. "You aren't together anymore, are you?"

He shook his head. "Not for three months."

"What happened?"

There was silence for a while and his inscrutable expression had a horrible thought crossing her mind. "Did she find out about…us?"

"No…I…" His face screwed up in annoyance. "Why would it matter if she did? Cath and I weren't…together when we were. You know that."

She did. Kono was well aware that when they were sleeping together that he and Catherine were having an "off" period in their relationship. And yet…

"Right now that doesn't make me feel better, Steve. She is my _friend_ and she has no clue we slept together."

"She didn't need to know, Kono." Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Why now, why was she brining this up now of all times? "You know better than anyone, until Cath moved to Hawaii we weren't exclusive and we weren't beholden to tell each other about…other people. I know she had her own…relationships."

There was just the tiniest bit of venom in his voice when he said "relationships", which had bells going off in her head.

Kono softened her voice. "What happened between you? She seemed so…perfect for you."

Steve sat back on the edge of the bed and Kono followed, sitting close to him.

"I pushed her to work for someone she had a previous…relationship with. He showed up on the island just before you left. They had coffee; he offered her a job in his security firm. I told her to do it, the job was right up her alley and she was starting to go nuts without having a day to day job. She…wanted to make sure I knew they were together before, but I was still ok with it. I trusted her." Steve turned toward her and Kono saw the truth in his eyes. "Turns out I shouldn't have. They started spending a lot of time together and Cath decided that his 'normal' was better than my insanity."

"Steve…"

"Not that I can blame her really, most of our relationship consisted of me calling her for favors, that was only going to last so long. But when she landed in Hawaii permanently I thought we could make it work, that we would make it work…but come on, at first we could barely admit we were dating. That should have been a sign, don't you think? I don't know…it's almost like we tried so hard because everyone around us just assumed we were dating and hey, we did have feelings for each other so why not?

"But I think deep down I couldn't let you go…I couldn't let us go. Even after you started seeing Adam." He reached out and covered one of her hands that were sitting on her lap. "You were always in the back of my mind."

Her hand turned over and he linked their fingers together. For a long moment she stared at their hands before looking up at him. "I don't think I ever let you go either."

* * *

_It was killing him. It had been three weeks since they called it off and already he was regretting it and wondering if they could manage just one more time. But he knew that one more would lead to another, then another and then it would be exactly what they were trying to avoid. Feelings, emotions, attachment. Though Steve knew it was already too late, he was attached to her. So instead he avoided partnering with her and sitting next to her when they went out after hours. Because his body (and soul if he would admit it) was literally craving her. He missed her warm skin pressed against him, her lips on his mouth among other places, her moans and cries – noises he pulled from her. And oh how he missed watching her come apart because of him. And the way she curled up against him after, their sweat mingling, breathing slowing together. He could practically feel her heartbeat in his side as it came down. _

_Steve realized he never noticed these things with Catherine._

_Staring at her through the glass walls of the offices, he watched as she worked at the smart table, trying to track their latest quarry. Her long fingers moved across the smooth surface almost impossibly fast. _

_Taking a deep breath he pushed the memories from his mind, Steve had to stop obsessing about her. This was it…no more._

_And so for a long time he did push her from her mind, focusing instead on work or Catherine or anything else really and eventually the feelings faded. Until Adam showed up and then something primal reared up in him and he damn near lost it. Steve, like Chin, struggled with the fact that she was dating the head of the Yakuza, no matter how many times she insisted he was turning it around. But it didn't take long to see that she was happy, really happy and Adam treated her well. So Steve went full bore into his relationship with Catherine. But one night it boiled over, the Yakuza had been causing some trouble on the island and Kono had defended Adam, saying there were those in the organization that didn't appreciate his efforts and purposely did things to subvert his efforts._

_After arresting two gang members that day, Steve had been seething, angry at her, angry at himself, just…angry. So he waited until it was just them in the office and then approached her office, standing in the door, arms crossed, festering anger open on his face. _

"_Still in bed with the Yakuza, huh? Even after today?" Not the best way to start a conversation but effective, her head snapped up from the paper she had been writing on and she glared at him._

"_And?"_

"_You need to break it off." He stated simply, as if it was that simple._

_Now she stood. "No, I actually don't."_

"_You can delude yourself all you want, Kono. Adam is head of the Yakuza, you are a cop, don't you see the problem?"_

"_I'm well aware-"_

"_Then break it off."_

_Her eyebrows rose and she practically stalked around the desk, approaching him. "You don't get to tell me how to handle my personal life, boss."_

"_I do when it puts you in danger."_

"_My _job_ puts me in danger, Steve." Her eyes narrowed. "Don't act like this isn't personal."_

"_I-I'm just worried about you Kono."_

_Her face softened and she reached out one hand, placing it on his chest above his heart. "I can take care of myself."_

_Tentatively he placed a hand over hers. "It doesn't keep me from worrying. One of these days he's going to put you in danger and I just hope I'm there when it happens to help you."_

* * *

"We weren't supposed to get attached," she whispered and looked down at their joined hands.

"I already was," he replied and released her hand, reaching across to cup her cheek gently before turning her face to him.

"Me too," she whispered and placed her head on his shoulder.

Silence washed over them, neither really sure what to say or where they went from here. So Steve decided to focus on the now, which was finding Adam.

They needed a plan, the only link they had to those holding Adam was whoever had taken a shot at them. Suddenly he stood and paced.

"We need to find that shooter," he said and glanced at her.

Smirking at him she said, "I have an idea."

tbc...

Leave a review...pretty please. They feed the writer.


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